Letter to Issa: The Manufacturers’ Priorities

An entirely predictable, nakedly apparent campaign of political outrage flurried briefly after Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) sought input from business groups and others about regulations that his House Oversight Committee could review in committee hearings. See, see, he’s letting Big Business set his agenda!

Phhpt. A committee chairman who seeks information about the economic impact of regulations logically talks to the people who are being regulated. If you’re concerned that excess regulations discourage hiring, it makes sense to talk to groups that represent employers.

The Daily Caller summarized the artificial controversy in a piece Thursday, including links to letters sent to Issue from business groups, including the National Association of Manufacturers.

A series of letters solicited by top GOP oversight official Rep. Darrell Issa put the Environmental Protection Agency in crosshairs, urging the aggressive new chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee to investigate a series of strict new regulations finalized by the Obama administration.

Of course EPA raises the most concern. It’s the source of the largest number of jobs-killing regulatory proposals, as the Administration itself documents!

The NAM deferred to Chairman Issa and the committee as to when to release the letter, and it’s now been made public by the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington. Such a fuss. The substance should come as no surprise to anyone who knows manufacturing’s priorities as long articulated by the NAM. The NAM’s letter refers to our “Manufacturing Strategy for Jobs and a Competitive America,” and cites the NAM’s critiques of the EPA for its greenhouse gas proposal, its Boiler MACT Rule, and its ozone rules. On OSHA, we’re concerned about the noise proposal — since withdrawn — and its plans to minimize cooperative safety efforts with employers. The letter notes other issues, like the proposed regulations on export controls and the shipping of lithium batteries via air.

We’ve blogged about all these issues repeatedly at Shopfloor.org. Who would have thought? All those blog posts, advocacy and arguments? We were really giving marching orders to House Republicans. Amazing.